But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be dug through [into].
Jesus has just said that no one knows the day or the hour of His coming. Now He paints a small scene: a house, a night watch, and a break-in the owner could have stopped. Two questions follow. Why is the hour hidden, and who gets caught out?
The whole sentence turns on a condition that never comes true. One writer ties the picture to a servant who had begun to act as though the house were his own:
The Lord has a word on the other side, where the servant has somehow become "the master of the house," and the coming of the Son of man is like the unwelcome visit of a thief. Such a person needs to remember that the thief does not come at an expected hour, or perhaps the house would not have been broken into. "If he had known" only presses the fact that he does not know.
The figure is not flattering, and it is not aimed at everyone. One writer sets the thief beside another image, one kept for those who stay awake:
This is how He will come upon the world — as a thief. We belong to the region of light; our proper hope is the Morning Star, which is only seen by those who are watching during the night. The reason Sardis is warned, instead of cheered by the hope of His coming, is that it has sunk down to the world's level: low, lifeless, sapless Christianity; and it will overtake them as a thief.
Another writer finds the same line in the apostle's words. The pronouns do the work:
The words "they" and "you" make it still clearer that the day of the Lord is for the world. He does not say "When you shall say, Peace and safety" but when "they shall say." The apostle excludes the believer completely from that day when sudden destruction falls, for he says, "But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief."
The house stood open because its owner was at ease. One writer says what such ease does to us:
Present ease and unwatchfulness in such a world as this always make the return of the Lord to be more or less unwelcome. The only right attitude for love or conscience is the attitude of watching for Him.
The verse sits between a call to watch and a call to be ready, and the two are not identical. One writer separates them by what each reveals about the heart:
Both have their place, but watching means expectancy — the heart is engaged. A servant might be quite ready for his master's return, simply obeying a command, but if he is watching, it shows that his master's return is absorbing his thoughts. But with the Christian the two must go together; if the heart is not right towards the Lord, the loins will become ungirded and the light will grow dim.
Being ready, in practice, means having nothing outstanding. One writer tested the idea over dinner:
I was dining one day with a lady in London, and I said to her at the table, "Would you like the Lord Jesus to return today?" "No," she said, "I would not... I have many things to settle up first, there are many things I would not like Him to see." Well, the Lord says, "Be ready" — that is, everything settled up, and we as real pilgrims and strangers passing through this world with nothing to detain us.
Commentators differ on who these words are for. Dennett, above, applies them to believers now. Another writer marks this point as the close of one part of the discourse:
With these words of warning and exhortation to watch, our Lord closes the predictions relating to the end of the Jewish age. This warning will be understood and heeded by the Jewish remnant, to which it is addressed. They are to watch for the Son of Man; the church is to wait for her Lord.
- Unknown hour. "If he had known" — but he never does. No one gets the hour, so no one can put off watching.
- Unwelcome hour. The thief pictures how that hour comes on a sleeping world, and on a Christianity sunk to the world's level. It is not how He comes to those who watch.
- Undefended hour. Ease, not weakness, opens the house. Comfort in this world makes His return feel unwelcome.
- Watched-for hour. Being ready obeys a command; watching means the coming absorbs the heart. The two belong together, or the light dims.
- Settled hour. Readiness is practical. Nothing left to settle, nothing holding you here. You live as a stranger passing through.
Wherefore *ye* also, be ye ready, for in that hour that ye think not the Son of man comes.
This verse turns a long stretch of prophecy into one command: be ready. It raises two questions. Whose coming does it describe? And how can anyone be ready for an hour no one can work out?
Commentators place this verse at a seam. It ends the section dealing with Israel and the last days, before the Lord turns to servants, virgins and talents.
With these words of warning and call to watch, our Lord closes the predictions about the end of the Jewish age. The Jewish remnant will understand this warning and take it to heart, for it is addressed to them. They are to watch for the Son of Man; the church is to wait for her Lord.
Behind the command is a picture of a house broken into. Notice what the word "if" is doing in it.
The Lord has a word on the other side. There the servant has somehow become "the master of the house," and the coming of the Son of Man is like the unwelcome visit of a thief. Such a person needs to remember that the thief does not come at an expected hour. If he had remembered, perhaps his house would not have been broken into. "If he had known" only presses the fact that he does not know.
Which coming is this, and when does it happen?
As the dreadful time of tribulation judgment draws to its close, the Lord will come, but at an hour no one has known beforehand. That is why men are told to watch. At that time He will come as a thief, unexpected and unwelcome, so at least let men be ready. At the rapture (which is earlier) He will not come as a thief (1 Thess. 5:4), but for expectant believers. Verse 44 ends the Lord's consideration of Israel in this prophetic discourse, pressing the fact of His coming then as Son of Man.
The hour is hidden on purpose, and that purpose can be turned upside down.
That uncertainty was ordered to keep men always expecting, though the time was not far off. It is remarkable that men have turned it into a reason for not expecting at all.
Pushing the coming far into the future empties the command of meaning:
We are taught to watch for that coming, because we do not know when the time is. This answers two mistakes at once. Some set times, near or far, for His coming. Others put it off to the end of the millennium. You do not know when the time is; therefore the Lord says, Watch. You cannot watch for what you know will not come for a hundred years; how much less, a thousand.
Commentators differ on how far the verse reaches believers today. Some read it as a word to a future remnant. Others press it as a daily test: would you welcome Him tonight?
Now you will say, "How can we be ready?" It is not the state of the soul only. That is the main thing, but there are many things to be settled. I was dining one day with a lady in London, and I said to her at the table, "Would you like the Lord Jesus to return today?" "No," she said, "I would not." "And why not?" "Well," she said, "I have many things to settle up first. There are many things I would not like Him to see. I would rather He did not come today." So the Lord says, "Be ready" — that is, everything settled up, and we as real pilgrims and strangers passing through this world with nothing to hold us here.
Readiness has two sides:
First, we must be "ready" in title. Second, we must be "ready" in our moral state — ready in conscience, and ready in heart. The one is founded on the work of Christ for us; the other is connected with the work of the Spirit in us. If we are resting by faith on the finished work of Christ, leaning only on what He has done and what He is, then we are truly ready in title, and we may be sure of being with Him when He comes.
A comfortable life quietly makes His return feel like an intrusion — which is exactly the householder's problem.
Present ease and unwatchfulness in such a world as this always make the return of the Lord more or less unwelcome. The only right attitude, for love or for conscience, is the attitude of watching for Him.
- Unknown — "If he had known" presses one fact: he does not know. That ignorance is the whole reason for the command.
- Ordered — the uncertainty keeps people always expecting; turning it into a reason to stop expecting flips its purpose.
- Thief — to a sleeping world His coming breaks in unwelcome; to those expecting Him, He is not a thief but their Lord.
- Ready — first ready in title, resting on the finished work of Christ; then ready in state, in conscience and heart, with everything settled up.
- Now — ease makes His return unwelcome; watching for Him is the only right attitude, for love and for conscience.